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Broncos Starter, Backup Quarterbacks Won't Be Playing In Sunday's Game Due To COVID

DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Broncos might have an enormous quarterback problem for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles were pulled off the field before practice on Saturday.

Denver Broncos Training Camp
ENGLEWOOD, CO - AUGUST 18: Quarterbacks Brett Rypien #4, Jeff Driskel #9 and Drew Lock #3 of the Denver Broncos share a laugh before a training session at UCHealth Training Center on August 18, 2020 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

The trio was sent home for contact tracing concerns with Jeff Driskel, who tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.

Lock, Rypien and Bortles all tested negative through regular and rapid tests.

Blake Bortles
Blake Bortles (credit: CBS)

ESPN reported on Saturday Fangio said the quarterbacks are more than six feet apart from each other during meetings.

Late Saturday afternoon, ESPN reported all quarterbacks are ineligible to play on Sunday, and none of the quarterbacks were wearing masks at the time of exposure.

The team reportedly won't forfeit the game.

Wide receiver Kendall Hinton, who played quarterback for a time in college at Wake Forest, was chosen to be the starting quarterback. He was activated off of the practice squad.

Hinton was a wide receiver at Wake Forest in 2019, but played at quarterback previously. He appeared in 22 games over four seasons.

MORE FROM CBSSPORTS.COM: Who is Kendall Hinton? What to know about the Broncos' possible starter who hasn't played QB since 2015

The Broncos released a statement about the situation late Saturday:

"With NFL/NFLPA protocols mandating a five-day quarantine period for high-risk close contacts, we were informed by the league that Lock, Rypien and Bortles will be ineligible to participate in Sunday's game against New Orleans... We will continue to work closely with the NFL whenever there is a positive COVID-19 case, including sharing all available information in a thorough and timely manner to ensure the safety of our team."

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